| 454th Bombardment wing | |
|---|---|
454th Bombardment Wng Insignia |
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| Active | 1943–1945, 1962–1969 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Bomber |
| Part of | Strategic Air Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Columbus AFB, Mississippi |
The 454th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 42d Air Division, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968.
Originally activated in 1943 as the 454th Bombardment Group as a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Mediterranean, African, and The Middle East Theatres of World War II.
As part of the reserves after World War II, it was activated during the Korean War, with its personnel and equipment being sent to Japan for combat operations as a Tactical Air Command troop carrier organization. In 1962, the unit was redesignated as the 454th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, and became part of Strategic Air Command. Flying B-52 Stratofortress bombers, the 454th BW were integrated into SAC's combat forces in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The 454th Bombardment Wing completed more than 100 missions to South Vietnam without losing a single bomber to enemy aircraft fire. The wing was inactivated in 1969 with the end of SAC operations from Columbus AFB, Mississippi.
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Constituted as 454th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943. Activated on 1 June 1943 at Davis-Monthan Field, near Tucson, Arizona. Training began immediately on B-24 Liberators and the Ground Cadre was sent on 3 July to Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics, Orlando AAB, Florida. On 15 July, planes were sent from Davis-Monthan to join them at Pinecastle AAF, Florida for Practical Field Training.
From their bases in Florida, the Ground Echelon was transferred on 28 July 1943 to McCook Army Air Base near McCook, Nebraska and, on 1 August, the Air Echelon joined them. This was the first operational unit to use the newly constructed McCook Air Base. On 28 September the Group was reassigned to Charleston AAB, Charleston, South Carolina
On 2 December 1943 the aircrews and some key ground personnel were sent to Mitchel Field, New York on 2 December 1943 in preparation for deployment overseas. These personnel were subsequently transferred to Morrison Field, near West Palm Beach, Florida and flew the southern route to North Africa. After additional training in Tunisia, the Air Echelon joined the Ground Echelon, who had previously departed from Camp Patrick Henry by Liberty Ship, at San Giovanni AAF, west of Cerignola, Italy, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force.
Flying from Italy, the group flew 243 missions on over 150 primary targets in Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and Poland. During this time, 13,389.19 tons of bombs were dropped during 7,091 sorties on enemy marshalling yards, oil refineries, bridges, installations, airdromes and rail lines.
Participated in the drive to Rome, the invasion of Southern France, and the defeat of Axis forces in northern Italy. The 454th was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for "outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy" as a result of their mission against the Hermann Goering Steel Works in Linz, Austria on 25 July 1944. The Group received a second Unit Citation on 24 May 1945, for similar action on the high priority Messerschmidt Aircraft Factory at Bad Voslau, Austria on 12 April 1944.
After the German Capitulation in May 1945, the 454th redeployed to the United States on 8 July. Many personnel were demobilized upon arrival at the port of debarkation; a small cadre of key personnel was formed and the group was then established at Sioux Falls Army Air Field South Dakota in July and the unit was redesignated the 454th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in July and was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses and programmed for deployment to the Pacific Theater.
The Japanese Capitulation in August made the group redundant to Air Force requirements and the unit was demobilized, and the unit was inactivated on 17 October 1945.
The group was allocated to the re-established Air Force Reserve in April 1947, being stationed at McChord Field, Washington, and equipped with B-29s removed from storage in the southwest. The group was reassigned in July 1949 to Spokane AFB, Washington.
As a result of the Korean War, the 454th was activated on 1 May 1951. Upon activation, the groups personnel and equipment were reassigned as replacements to the Strategic Air Command 98th Bombardment Wing, which was deployed to Far East Air Forces at Yokota AB, Japan. The group was inactivated as a paper unit on 16 June.
The Air Force Reserve again re-established the unit as the 454th Troop Carrier Wing at Portland Columbia Airport, Oregon in June 1952. It was equipped with C-46 Commandos. Its activation as a reserve transport unit was short, as it was inactivated and its assets redesignated as the 403d Troop Carrier Wing upon that units withdrawal from the Korean War in January 1953.
On 15 June 1959, Strategic Air Command established the 4228th Strategic Wing at Columbus AFB, Mississippi as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 492d Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Fs, and the KC-135-equipped 901st Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4228th SW was redesignated as the 454th Bombardment Wing (397th BW) on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 4th Air Division. The 492d BS was also redesignated as the 436th Bombardment Squadron, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 901st ARS designation was unchanged, and component support units were also redesignated to the 454th numerical designation of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. In addition, the history, lineage and honors of the 454th Bombardment Group were bestowed upon the newly established wing upon activation.
The 454th Bomb Wing conducted air refuelling operations and trained in bombardment operations. Converted to B-52D in 1965 for Vietnam operations. Once operationally ready with the B-52D, the 454th wing headquarters, staff, tactical aircraft and crews and maintenance personnel were integrated into SAC's combat forces in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The 454th Bombardment Wing completed more than 100 missions to South Vietnam without losing a single bomber to enemy aircraft fire. In May 1967 General Edward O. Martin assumed command of the 454th Bombardment Wing at Columbus, and one month later he led the wing on its second deployment to the Western Pacific area in support of Southeast Asia operations and returned to Columbus in December 1967. In May 1968 the 454th Wing made its third deployment to the Western Pacific area, its second under the command of General Martin.
Some upgraded B-52Cs were also transferred from the 99th Bomb Wing during 1968 – 69 and were operated as crew trainers.
By 1969 as the demand for pilots to support the war in Southeast Asia increased, the number of B-52s based stateside fell because they were needed overseas. At the same time, Minuteman and Polaris missiles were taking their places in strategic deterrence, replacing much of the bomber alert force. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina. The 454th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 1 July 1969 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, Columbus AFB was transferred to Air Training Command and resumed a pilot training mission which it had prior to the activation of the 4228th SW.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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